28 December 2010, 12:30
Mykola Tomenko: 2010 started as a Year of Hopes and Expectations, but finished as a Year of Frustration and Distrust
Mykola Tomenko made this statement at the press conference for UNIAN news agency "Results of 2010: Public Evaluation."
As to expectations, the Deputy Chairman proved the results of the national Ukrainian public opinion poll concerning the events of 2010 held by Ukrainian Democratic Circle agency on request of the Institute of Politics. Thus, only 9,6% of citizens believe that the present year was successful for Ukraine, while most Ukrainians (45%) stated that this year was unsuccessful for the state.
According to the Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, total distrust is the most dangerous trend. He is convinced that the society has no respect either to the authorities or to the opposition. He emphasised that the citizens did not trust courts, local authorities and law enforcement bodies. The authorities, in their turn, do not trust journalists and experts.
According to M. Tomenko, the society has three specific states: a country, where the authorities are less evil than the opposition, a country where opposition is less evil than the authorities and a country against all, which is well known in the Ukrainian politics.
The Deputy Chairman drew attention to the fact that for the past six years, the number of citizens who voted ‘against all´ increased up to 12%.
M. Tomenko emphasised that if neither authorities nor the opposition and the society make any conclusions out of these dangerous trends of 2010, "the Ukrainian state of distrust may become the county of distrust and hatred in 2011."